Emergency Migrant Response

We can be the people who "find the lost, heal the broken, feed the hungry."

- Howard Thurman

During the week of Christmas, our congregation mobilized to support 60 (mostly) Venezuelans who arrived in Fort Collins.

By mid-December 2022, Denver had counted over 3,000 migrants arriving in weeks. With their systems taxed, Denver reached out to other Colorado counties for support. Larimer was the rare county that responded with willingness and accepted 60 migrants for temporary shelter and support. Foothills was part of a non-profit and faith-based community response that provided direct services to the newcomers.

No more county services - including housing - would be provided following the first week, so the clock was ticking to find mid-term shelter, connections, and planning for longer-term stability and safety for the newcomers.

Over 60 people responded to our call for volunteers, and Foothills became responsible for three main areas of the response: Travel, Housing, and Financial Support.

Travel

With the volunteer leadership of Cheryl Hazlitt, Jessica Davis, and Sara Tarr, we coordinated travel needs, including purchasing bus tickets across the country and identifying resources in destination cities. Our volunteers also transported people to the bus station, to Christmas meals, and helped purchase groceries. Our volunteers also drove people to Denver and local stores. As of early 2023, our volunteers continue to provide occasional transportation assistance to jobs and appointments when no other options can be identified.

Housing (and Supplies)

With the volunteer leadership of Foothills members Ticie and Tom Rhodes, we coordinated to identify short-term housing placements for people leaving the emergency shelters. Many Foothills members provided furniture, supplies, and clothing and even offered their own homes. Rev. Gretchen, Ticie, and Tom continued working with Fuerza Latina and Alianza to identify longer-term housing for those who decided to stay.

Through this work, our Sanctuary Everywhere program has established a new 8-person (volunteer) Village to support one of the recently arriving families through their next few months of resettlement. We are also working with Foothills member Anne Aspen to form another support village around another household. This work will be ongoing just as it has been with immigrant families since we began Sanctuary Everywhere in 2019.